Royal Society. 133 



the blue. In order to determine the simple effect of temperature, in- 

 dependently of light, the needles were vibrated in close vessels, 

 surrounded with water of different temperatures : 'the results showed 

 Uiat the terminal arc was increased in air of higher temperatures, 

 which is the reverse of what takes place from the direct influence of 

 the solar rays ; and that this effect, instead of being different in the 

 magnetized and in the other needle, was nearly the same in all needles, 

 of whatever materials they consisted, and whether magnetized or not. 

 The author next endeavoured to ascertain the effects produced on 

 the arcs of vibration by the action of a common fire : these, though 

 much less in degree, he found to be similar in kind to those of the 

 sun. 



June 19. — " Observations on the functions of the intestinal canal 

 and liver of the human foetus," by Robert Lee, M.D., Physician to 

 the British Lying-in Hospital. Communicated by Dr. Prout, F.R.S. 

 From the circumstances of the early development of the liver and 

 intestines of the fcetus, of the copious supply of blood which they re- 

 ceive, and of the great space which they occupy in the abdomen, the 

 author was led to the conclusion, that they performed some important 

 functions in the fcEtal ceconomy. Although no nutritive matter can be 

 furnished by the mouth, yet the contents of different portions of the 

 alimentary canal were found, both in appearance and chemical com- 

 position, to bear a striking analogy to those of the same parts of the 

 canal in the tidult, where the processes of assimilation and absorp- 

 tion are performed. A semi-fluid matter possessing all the charac- 

 ters of albumen is found closely adhering to the inner coats of the 

 small intestine ; and is more especially abundant around the papil- 

 lary projection, through which the common duct of the liver opens 

 into the duodenum ; and diminishes in quantity, as we trace it to- 

 wards the termination of the ileum. The great intestines are gene- 

 rally distended with a dark green homogeneous fluid, containing no 

 albumen, and apparently excrementitious. No albumen can be de- 

 tected in the contents of the stomach. Hence the author infers that 

 an absorption of some nutritious substance, which he brings forward 

 several arguments to show must be derived from the liver, takes place 

 from the intestinal canal in the latter months of gestation. He states, 

 that in two instances he detected the presence of a substance, similar 

 to that which he had found in the duodenum, in the hepatic duct itself. 

 Hence he is led to the conclusion that the function of the liver in the 

 foetus is not confined to the separation of excrementitious matter from 

 the blood, but that it supplies materials subservient to nutrition. 

 That the substances existing in the intestines of the foetus are not de- 

 rived from the mouth, is proved by their being equally found in ace- 

 phalous children, or where the oesophagus was impervious, as where 

 no such malconformation had existed. 



A note is subjoined to this paper by Dr. Prout, giving an account 

 of the mode by which he ascertained the chemical character of llie 

 substance referred to his examination : and the paper is accompanied 

 by drawings of the intestinal tube in the foetus. 



GE0L0GIC.\L 



